The present invention relates generally to head wear and particularly, to multiply configurable head wear having a knit cap combined with a visor assembly.
Different configurations of configurable hats have been known over time. In 1910, Monoson disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 978,048 a configurable fur hat that, as best understood, had a pliable brim and pliable crown joined at the base of the crown with an unstretchable band and a stiff peak sewn into the brim which could be flipped up or down. Monoson provided a draw cord for adjusting the size of the hat to suit different wearers.
A 1933 Hendrickson U.S. Pat. No. 1,915,092 disclosed a hat formed of a stretchable knit tube with one end closed to form a crown. As best understood, Hendrickson provided two relatively elastic reinforcing bands: a first annular French welt formed as an integral sweat band intermediate along the tubular length, and a second integrally-formed annular French welt at the opening. A wire inserted into the annular ring formed in the second French welt was used to stretch the opening to a much larger size than the original knit tube and to shape the hat brim.
Goldstein disclosed in 1939 U.S. Pat. No. 2,143,265 an attempt to convert an ordinary double-thickness knit xe2x80x9cstockingxe2x80x9d cap into a visored xe2x80x9chockeyxe2x80x9d cap which was to be wearable in various configurations. As best understood, Goldstein confined a crescent-shaped peak or visor stiffener sewn in a pocket at the brim between the cap""s inner and outer layers.
Later, U.S. Pat. No. 2,735,110 issued to Baker in 1956 disclosed a xe2x80x9cscarfxe2x80x9d cap using a visor assembly of a stiff visor with an adjustable headband attached thereto. As best understood, the visor assembly is centered at the long edge of a triangular fabric scarf and secured thereto by stitching.
All of the Monoson, Hendrickson, Goldstein, and Baker patents are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.
The present invention overcomes limitations of the prior art by providing a multiply configurable hat having a visor assembly joined to a conventional rib-knit stocking cap. The visor assembly is formed of a visor or bill portion joined to an adjustable headband. The visor assembly is separable from the stocking cap and is independently wearable as a visor. The stocking cap is formed of an inner knit fabric tube and an outer knit fabric tube joined together at a first end to form a brim and joined at a second end to form a closure at a crown of the hat. An annular space is thereby formed between the inner and outer knit tubes of the stocking cap. The inner tube is formed with an access aperture structured to accept the visor assembly therethrough into the space formed between the inner and outer knit fabric tubes. The visor assembly is installed in the annular space between the inner and outer knit fabric tubes and is movable therein relative to the inner and outer knit fabric tubes. Furthermore, the inner and outer knit fabric tubes are configurable relative to the visor assembly, such that the visor portion arranged in proximity to the brim, and the headband is movable along a length of the tube. The inner and outer knit fabric tubes of the stocking cap are thus configurable relative to the visor assembly into different arrangements and styles.
According to other aspects of the invention, various methods are provided for forming a multiply configurable visored cap from a double thickness knit stocking cap having an inner tubular thickness and an outer tubular thickness joined together at a crown portion, the inner and outer tubular thicknesses forming an annular space therebetween coextensive therewith and joined together to form at a brim portion opposite the crown portion an opening sized to fit onto a user""s head in combination with a visor assembly having a crescent shaped bill projecting from a headband. The headband adjustable to fit a variety of head sizes. One method of the invention includes installing the visor assembly into the space formed between the inner and outer tubular thicknesses, such that an outer most edge of the crescent shaped bill is positionable at an interior crease formed at the brim portion, and the adjustable headband attached thereto is extendable about an interior circumference of the annular space between the inner and outer tubular thicknesses and is selectably positionable along a length of the annular space between the brim portion and the crown portion.
According to one aspect of the invention, the method includes forming a pair of lips in the inner tubular thickness of the cap, whereby access is gained to the annular space between the inner and outer tubular thicknesses of the stocking cap. The method optionally includes finishing edges of the lips by stitching.
According to another aspect of the invention, method optionally includes inserting the visor assembly between the pair of lips into the space between the inner and outer tubular thicknesses of the stocking cap.